VILLUPURAM: A quarry owner was slapped with seven-year jail term by Villupuram special court for confining 20 people belonging to a tribal community in his quarry at Vettaikaranpatty near Melmalayanur as bonded labourers.
A source from said based on complaint given by then Gingee taluk tahsildar Shyamalatha, Valathi police filed a case under sections including The Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, against the owner of Bluemetal Quarry M Ganesan (61) and his son G Tamilselvam (38) on July 30, 2010.
Ganesan died due to illness a few years ago while the trial was still on at the Villupuram district Special Court for cases registered under SC/ST(POA) Act. Delivering the judgment, Judge A Packia Jothi sentenced seven years jail-term and Rs 15,000 penalty for Tamilselvan.
Lawyer P Rajkumar, who appeared on behalf of the tribal people said, "Seven-year jail-term was given based on IPC section 370 and three more years in jail was slapped under IPC sections 315,316 and 374 . He has to undergo the jail-term together."
He added that this was highest punishment given in bonded labour related case in Tamil Nadu.